Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In following the contribution made by member for Parkes on the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Family Payments Structural Reform and Participation Measures) Bill 2015, I have some very interesting observations to make. I think they will give an insight into the reason why every time the Turnbull-Abbott government want to make a saving they attack the most vulnerable. They look to the social security system to make savings, or they look to the health system to make savings. What they do is target those people who they think are the most vulnerable. One of the comments made by the member for Parkes that I found highly, highly offensive gave me an insight into the way he thinks about this issue. He talked about the time when people in his electorate received the $900 payment during the financial crisis. He said that poker machine revenue rose. This shows that he believes people who receive family tax benefits or who are pensioners just squander and waste the money that they receive. He does not get it. He just does not get the fact that people rely on their family tax benefit and the support that they receive through Centrelink to be able to live a decent life.

He said that he wants his children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy the same lifestyle that he has enjoyed. I do not think it would be a shock to say that any member in this House knows that they will—they absolutely will, because he comes from an advantaged, privileged background. Similarly, my children will have had the benefit of a good education and support, and they will be able to look towards a very comfortable future. But there is a role for government to provide support for those families who look to government to provide them with support. That is what I find so disappointing. Every time when those on the other side want to make savings, they attack the most vulnerable. They do nothing about the issue of high-end superannuation or any other areas. They could have asked people who are a little better off to make some contribution to the savings.

After that, I would like to congratulate the government on adopting the amendments that they have here today. They are sensible changes. That was the position that Labor took at the time that this bill was introduced into parliament. It has taken the government some time to realise that they will not have the support to get these draconian changes through the parliament. They do not for one minute think that these are draconian changes, but in reality they are changes that really would have an enormous impact on families.

In the Shortland electorate, I have worked closely with a number of grandparent carers. They tell me their stories. I go along to grandparent groups. A grandparent group was being funded and provided support for grandparents who care for their grandchildren—usually, the children were quite traumatised—but, unfortunately, the Abbott-Turnbull government took away the funding for grandparents in these groups. Thanks to local churches and the Samaritans, the group is still going, but they are not properly funded. These grandparent groups struggle from day to day. They do not have enough information and they rely on any assistance they can get from Centrelink, but those on the other side of this House want to make it harder for those grandparents. Those on the other side of this House want to make it harder for single parents. Those on the other side of this House just do not understand. They do not understand how hard it is for people. They do not understand how people rely so very much on their family tax benefit.

The Senate conducted an inquiry into this matter and, overwhelmingly, senators heard how important this is to families. Even The Australian newspaper, which tends to be quite supportive of government policies, highlighted the fact that there would be almost 140,000 single parents and 76,000 couples who would lose their family tax benefit part A. We on this side of the parliament are supportive of couples ceasing to receive family tax benefit part B when their children reach 13 years of age. That is one aspect of this bill that we are supporting. What the government are seeking to inflict on families is unconscionable.

The Sydney Morning Herald sent a little message out on 11 November that the government were looking at breaking up the family tax benefit legislation so they could get some of it through parliament. The opposition and the crossbench knew how unfair this legislation was and we were originally opposed to it. They decided that they would split the bill up and that is why we are supporting the changes today. In saying that, we have to look at the motivation of this bill. The government are splitting it up to get some of the savings through parliament. What guarantee is there that these draconian measures will not be brought back to this parliament in another form? The government will be working to try to get support for those changes and the government will get them through. They are changes that will hurt Australian families, they are changes that will hurt single parents and they are changes that are totally unacceptable. The changes that we support would save the budget $1.4 billion over four years.

Once again, I highlight the fact that this government only ever looks for changes in the areas of social security—areas that are going to hurt pensioners, families and carers. They look at supporting those people as a budget burden rather than looking at it as an obligation and a role that government plays. There is an expectation that, when somebody is doing it a little bit harder, they can look to government for support. If somebody has a disability, they look to government for support. When somebody has children, we support the family during the time the children are growing up. The reason we support families is that we know that, if families have the financial resources to enable their children to attend school, get a good education and be properly cared for, Australia as a nation will benefit into the future. It is not about handouts; it is about ensuring that, as a country, we have a sound future. If we have families, single parents and grandparents looking after children, we need to make sure that they have the resources to deliver what I was just talking about. Their children will be able to go to school and will be able to learn; they will not go without and live in poverty. The children will be able to get the education that they need and then be real assets to Australia.

As I said, we are supporting the change to the family tax benefit part B. That will save $1.4 billion over four years. Now I ask the government if they can go back and see if they can come up with some savings by looking at the high end in superannuation. It is not only The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian or The Canberra Times that have highlighted the unfairness of this. ACOSS has described the bill that has been amended as unfair and it has called for packages that include an indexation payment for wage movements and new payments benchmarked for children. ACOSS knew that these changes were going to hurt the most vulnerable in Australia. ACOSS also highlighted the fact that family payments play a vital role in combating poverty.

I have to say that it appears to me that those people on the other side of this parliament just do not understand that. I know. I have families come to visit me in my electorate office. I listen. I listen to what they are saying. I know how they struggle with the costs of living. I know that, if this government imposes a GST on fresh food, health and education or increases the base rate of the GST, those struggling families will really find it hard to make ends meet. This is a government that is absolutely focused on removing any support that is given through government to families and is moving away from its responsibility to support those in need. It is a disgrace that any minister or any government could have even thought of bringing in the legislation that was before this parliament to the House. It shows just how out of touch this government is, how unfeeling it is and how it has a total disregard for the needs of families.

I am pleased that the government have come to their senses in amending the legislation. I congratulate the shadow minister, Jenny Macklin, for the work that she has done in this area. She highlighted the unfairness of it. In conclusion, I would like to say that we have won this battle but I am very worried about the war. I am very worried that this government will try some sneaky little trick to bring back this legislation and will be out there negotiating with the crossbenchers in order to try to get it through the parliament in a different form in 2016.

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